Gordon Brown Makes Special Visit to King's
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| 3 Tutu on the web | 4 Degree powers | 5 King’s rocks | 6 Health research centre | 16 Time Team: Windsor dig | 19 The Big Draw CommentThe College newsletter Issue no 169 | October 2006 Gordon Brown makes special visit to King’s THE CHANCELLOR, GORDON BROWN, visited King’s for a series of meetings with staff and students on Freshers’ Fortnight kicks off new year 11 September. CHRIS SHARP Discussions included issues facing higher education, specific initiatives in nursing and midwifery education and the College’s groundbreaking Extended Medical Degree Programme. ‘A unique opportunity’ The Chancellor was met by the Principal, Professor Rick Trainor, and Baroness Rawlings, Chairman of Council, at the James Clerk Maxwell Building. His first meeting with senior staff centred on the interface between Government, universities and the NHS and the development of research funding. The Chancellor then visited the Florence Nightingale School of Nursing & Midwifery and met with Professor Anne Marie KCLSU (King’s College London Students’ Union) welcomed new students to King’s with two weeks of activities across the College to mark the start of the new academic year. Highlights included the Xfm Freshers’ Festival, a Freshers’ Ball, 70s Fever Night, Freshers’ Quiz Night as well as Rafferty, Julie Bliss, Dr Peter opportunities to join 44 clubs, 75 societies, six student-led volunteering projects and six campaigning groups held at several Freshers’ Fairs Griffiths, Pauleene Hammett, around the College. Professor Ian Norman, Professor Jane Sandall and Professor Alison While. They briefed and training to approximately audit resulted in a maximum the Extended Medical Degree the Chancellor on the various 4,616 students. There are 166 score. In the final part of the Programme, plus the course initiatives in nursing and academic and research staff and Chancellor’s visit he met Director, Dr Pamela Garlick. midwifery education at King’s. 39 support staff and the recent with nursing and midwifery The Extended Medical Degree The School provides education QAA (Quality Assurance Audit) students and two students on continued on page 2 News Gates Foundation HIV funding KING’S HAS BEEN AWARDED FUNDING research groups who will focus means of preventing infection. based on a ‘stealth’ delivery by the Bill & Melinda Gates on developing vaccines based Ultimately we hope it can form system using adenovirus (the Foundation for research into on human leukocyte antigens the basis for a safe, effective virus that causes the common HIV vaccines, as part of a – or HLA proteins. When and affordable vaccine against cold) to induce strong immunity $287 million international HIV replicates inside human the HIV virus.’ at the body’s mucosal surfaces, funding initiative. cells, selected human proteins, the main site of virus replication. The main King’s grant is in particular HLA, become The vaccines will be developed for a novel approach using the incorporated in the HIV virus and A novel approach using as patches incorporating micro- body’s own HLA proteins to are important to the mechanism the body’s own HLA needles, which are invisible to the induce a powerful immune of the infection. They are naked eye, and will not require response to HIV. Another team therefore potential targets for an proteins refrigeration, facilitating much at King’s will be working with anti-HIV immune response. wider, cost-effective use Imperial College London on Professor Lehner said: ‘After Dr Linda Klavinskis, in the developing world. developing a vaccine skin ‘patch’ 15 years of research we have Department of Immunobiology, This group of grants from the using polymer-shielded ‘stealth’ very promising evidence that will work closely on a grant Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation viral vectors. harnessing this specific part of led by Dr Steven Patterson of brings together more than 165 Tom Lehner, Professor of the immune system – the part Imperial College London. This investigators from 19 countries in Basic and Applied Immunology, involved in rejecting tissue multi-disciplinary team will a network of highly collaborative is leading a consortium of transplants – may be an effective pursue a novel vaccine concept research groups. Gordon Brown makes special visit to King’s New design DOMINIC TURNER continued from page 1 You may have noticed that Programme, now in its fifth year, Comment has been refreshed is a six-year medical degree for the new academic year. The course which allows students to newsletter retains many of its study at a slower pace and with original features but following greater support during their first feedback from staff the three years. By the end of the six Corporate Design Unit years students will have covered and Public Relations Office the same topics, at the same level have worked to introduce some of detail, as the conventional improvements. medical students on the standard These include: revitalising five-year MBBS programme. The Principal introduces the Chancellor to Baroness Rawlings, Chairman of Council. the design using the College’s They will also have sat the same a unique opportunity for the The Chancellor enthused: primary type face, Caslon, examinations and been required Chancellor to hear at first ‘King’s is a great place to work!’ and adding clearer page to achieve the same pass mark. hand from those who have This is the second high profile headings to help navigation, There are currently more than responsibility for the provision of ministerial visit this summer: the making Comment easier to read; 180 students on the programme. teaching and research at King’s, Prime Minister, Tony Blair, gave printing Comment with paper The Principal commented: the largest provider of healthcare the College’s Commemoration produced with 80 per cent ‘This series of meetings was education in Europe.’ Oration on 26 June. recovered fibre in line with DOMINIC TURNER the College’s policy to protect and enhance the environment; and introducing new features including Question? and Three favourite... [see page 24] where we ask staff to interact and let us know their views. Let us know what you think – email [email protected] The Corporate Design Unit is keen to assist staff with the application of the visual corporate identity. Visit www. kcl.ac.uk/design to find out more about the King’s logo, corporate typefaces, House style for written material and stationery. The Chancellor meets [from left] Shelley Peacock, Senior Nurse Practioner, Helen Pooley, Community Matron, and Jakki Berry, Diabetes Specialist Nurse. 2 | Comment | October 2006 News Tutu immortalised on the web ON 25 SEptEMBER THE BRitiSH HigH whose experience and learning Commissioner to South Africa, left me eager to discover more.’ Paul Boateng, and former African The glittering event was High Commissioner Cheryl attended by around 300 guests, Carolus hosted a reception at who included former President Paul Boateng’s residence in Cape FW De Clerk; the Premier of the Town to mark Desmond Tutu’s Western Cape, Ebrahim Rasool; 75th birthday. The event also HRH Princess Irene of Greece; launched a groundbreaking King’s author Antjie Krog; Mamphele web project to create a digital Ramphele, Managing Director of archive of the life and work of the the World Bank; Adelaide Tambo; Archbishop. the Chairman of the Robben Island Museum, Ahmed Kathrada; Nicky Oppenheimer, Chairman A groundbreaking King’s of de Beers; and alumnus web project Barney Pityana, Chairman of the South African Human Rights Commission and Vice-Chancellor Baroness Rawlings, Chairman ‘As one of the great leaders Nobel Laureate Desmond Tutu of the University of South Africa. of Council, and the Principal, of our time Archbishop Tutu studied at King’s in the 1960s and The celebration began with Professor Rick Trainor, also continues to bring messages of returned in 2004 as Professor in a film of the Archbishop’s life. spoke and paid tribute to hope to a troubled world,’ said Post-Conflict Societies. Speaking This was followed by a speech the Archbishop, who himself the Principal. ‘Our intention is to of his time as a student at the from Paul Boateng who paid concluded with a moving tribute ensure that everyone everywhere College Archbishop Tutu has tribute to the College and its to his wife, Leah, commenting: can benefit from his teaching and said: ‘I have wonderful, happy vision for a Tutu digital archive, ‘I am on cloud nine. I feel really speeches by making them freely memories of my time at King’s. declaring that raising funds for blessed tonight.’ available via the internet.’ I was excited by the accessibility this elevated the evening into Archbishop Tutu has expressed of books, the freedom to question ‘a party with a purpose…for the his own enthusiasm and support and to debate and the opportunity man who is, and always has been, ‘A party with a purpose’ for the project, commenting: ‘I to listen to the wisdom of minds a man with a purpose’. am humbled to be at the centre The Tutu Digital Archives of such an initiative, but if it can project aims to digitise the help spread understanding and, entire works of this modern icon dare I say it, love, around the and provide a free, interactive world, then it surely must be a resource for his humanitarian good thing.’ teachings that will resonate Media coverage of the event around the world for generations was extensive and Professor to come. King’s is now seeking to Harold Short, Simon Tanner, raise £4.5 million for the project. Dr Marilyn Deegan (all of CCH) Over the next five years, experts and Chris Coe (Director of from the Centre for Computing Communications) of King’s each in the Humanities (CCH) at gave extensive interviews to the King’s will collaborate with the South African media, including a Universities of Western Cape 20-minute slot on the pan-African and Witwatersrand to assemble, satellite news channel.